Receiving signal distributor for a high speed teleprinter of the start-stop type



P 9. 1969 G. RICCIARDPETAL 3,466,393

RECEIVING SIGNAL DISTRIBUTOR FOR A HIGH SPEED TELEPRINTER OF THE START-STOP TYPE Filed June 2. 1967 INVENTORS GIUSEPPE RICCIARDI BRUNO SANDRONE United States Patent U.S. Cl. 17889 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A receiving signal distributor for a high speed teleprinter of the start-stop type, comprises a set of selecting members sequentially settable and associated with a set of transfer members. The transfer members are divided in two groups, the transfer members of a first group being moved with a predetermined delay after the associated selecting members have been so set, the transfer members of the other group being directly moved by the associated selecting members.

Background of the invention This invention relates to a receiving signal distributor for a high speed teleprinter of the start-stop type, comprising a set of selecting members adapted to be sequentially set up into one of a pair of positions according to each unit of a received code combination, and a set of transfer members associated with said selecting members and adapted to simultaneously condition accordingly a set of code members.

In the known distributors of the above type the transfer members are normally simultaneously sensed or actuated in the time interval after the last selecting member has been set up according to the last unit of a received code combination and before the first selecting member is set up according to the first unit of the next following combination. Such time interval is normally very short and, in the case of a transmission at a speed higher than 50 bands, it may generate rebounds of the sensing members and cause an erroneous operation of the code bars.

Summary of the invention This disadvantage is obviated by the receiving signal distribtuor according to the invention, which is characterized in that said transfer members are divided in two groups, the transfer members of a first one of said groups being caused to be moved by control means with a predetermined delay after the associated selecting members have been so set, the transfer members of the other group being directly moved by the associated selecting members.

This and other characteristics of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof and from the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a receiving signal distribtuor according to the invention incorporated in a teleprinter of the start-stop type;

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of the distributor of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a timing diagram of the distributor of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view of a modified embodiment of the distributor. 1

ice

Description of the preferred embodiments of the invention With reference to FIG. 1, the numeral 3 indicates a conventional receiver main shaft of a teleprinter of the start-stop type. The shaft 3 is adapted to be cyclically rotated counterclockwise one revolution upon receiving each code combination. The teleprinter is provided with a serial-to-parallel converter or distributor of the received signals, substantially of the type described in the United States patent application, Ser. No. 638,180 dated Apr. 25, 1967.

Secured to an end of the shaft 3 is a disk 4 provided with a ring portion 5 and with a pair of converging rims 6 and 6'. Secured to the disk 4 is also a pin 7 pivotally mounting a lever 8 normally urged by a spring 9 to contact a projection 10 integral with the disk 4. Fulcrumed on the lever 8 is a second lever 12 carrying a setting member formed of a wedge 13, which is adapted to be selectively displaced from the marking position shown in FIG. 1 radially inwards to a spacing position, under the control of a receiving electromagnet not shown in the drawmgs.

The distributor comprises a set of five selecting members adapted to be sequentially set by the wedge 13 selectively into one of a pair of positions according to the character of the various units of a five levels code combination. More particularly, each selecting member is formed of a wedge 20 integral with a corresponding selecting lever 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19. Each wedge 20 normally contacts the inner surface or the outer surface of the ring portion 5. The various levers from 15 to 19 are individually secured to corresponding pivots 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 angularly spaced according to the code impulses and rotatable on a fixed structure 26 on a circle concentric with the shaft 3.

The shaft 3 is rotatably mounted within a sleeve 27 secured to the machine frame. Rotatably mounted around the sleeve 27 are five transfer members, each one formed of a lever comprising a hub 28, 29, 30, 31 and 32 provided with a forked arm 33 and a transfer arm 34, the arms 33 being mutually angularly offset, the arms 34 being selectively located in a pair of common angular positions. Each forked arm 33 engages a corresponding lever 35, 36, 37, 38 and 39.

The levers from 15 to 19 and the hubs from 28 to 32 are divided in two groups. The first group corresponds to the first two code units and the other group corresponds to the other three code units. The transfer members of the first group are connected to the corresponding selecting levers 15 and 16 by control means for causing the transfer members to be moved by the selecting members with a predetermined delay. More particularly, the levers 35 and 36 of the first group are rotatably mounted on the pivots 21 and 22 and are each one provided with a lug 41 connected through a lost motion connection with a pair of shoulders 42 and 43 of a corresponding lever 44, 45 secured to the pivot 21 and 22 respectively. The hubs 28 and 29 are yieldably locked in the reached position by two leaf springs 40. On the contrary, the other three levers 37, 38 and 39 of the second group are secured to the shafts 23, 24 and 25, whereby the transfer members of the second group are adapted to be directly moved by the corresponding selecting levers 17, 18 and 19.

Integral with the disk 4 is a pair of cams 46 and 47 projecting from the opposte surfaces of the ring portion 5 and having a dimension perpendicular to the disk 4 less than the dimension of the portion 5. The cams 46 and 47 may cooperate with two pins 48 and 49 projecting leftwards from the wedges 20 of the levers 15 and 16. The pins 48 and 49 may also cooperate with a pair of converging arcuate projections 50 and 51 extending counterclockwise from the rims 6, and 6 respectively, and with a pair of circular projections 80 and 81 extending clockwise from the rims 6 and 6'.

The arms 34 are adapted to be sensed for selectively and simultaneously positioning a corresponding set of similar code members or bars 52 (FIG. 2). Each bar 52 is secured to a pivot 53 rotatably mounted on the machine frame and adapted to assume one of a pair of angular positions. To this end a second shaft 54 adapted to be rotated at the same angular speed as the shaft 3 is caused by the shaft 3 to begin a one revolution cycle in a known manner at 210 degrees of the cycle of the shaft 3. Secured to the shaft 54 is a cam 55 normally contacted by an arm 56 of a bail 58 urged clockwise by a spring 57. The bail 58 is pivoted on a stationary shaft 59 and carries a shaft 60 pivotally mounting five swing levers 61.

Each lever 61 is provided with two pins 62 and 63 engaging a notch 64 of a pair of slides 65 and 66 each one guided by a pair of notches provided on the machine frame. The slides of each pair 65 and 66 are located according to the marking position, and the spacing position respectively, of the corresponding arm 34. The upper end of each slide 65, 66 is adapted to cooperate with a stationary stop plate 68. Each slide 65 and 66 is also provided with a shoulder 69 adapted to cooperate with a corresponding edge 70 and 71 of the corresponding code bar 52.

The distributor operates as follows:

Upon receiving the start signal of each code combination, the receiver shaft 3 is rotated counterclockwise one revolution together with the disk 4, the lever 8, the arm 12 and the wedge 13. The rims 6 and 6' sequentially convey the various wedges to a central position while the wedge 13 is selectively displaced radially according to the characters of the units of the code combination, thus setting up the wedges 20. These latter so set up are then locked in the reached position by the ring portion 5.

Particularly, the levers 15 and 16 through the corresponding shafts 21 and 22 rock the levers 44 and 45 so as to slightly contact with one of the two shoulders 42 or 43, the lug 41 of the levers and 36 without moving it. The projections 80 and 81 prevent the pins 48 and 49 from being moved beyond the positions determined by the wedge 13. Thereafter, while the wedge 13 engages the other three wedges 20, the cams 46 and 47 engage the pins 48 and 49 of the levers 15, 16 set up according thereto. Consequently the two levers 44 and are additionally rocked in the same direction in which they were rocked by the wedge 13. Now the shoulders 42 and 43 of the levers 44 and 45 engage the lug 41 of the levers 36, 37 which through the arms 33 rotate the corresponding hubs 28 and 29 together with the corresponding arms 34. The hubs 28 and 29 are then yieldably locked in the reached position by the leaf springs 40. Thereafter the pins 48 and 49 are engaged by the projections 50 and 51 and are tem orarily returned to the position determined by the wedge 13 without affecting the levers 35 and 36.

Substantially during the action of the cams 46 and 47 on the pins 48 and 49, the wedge 13 selectively rocks the other levers 17, 18 and 19 which through the pivots 23, 24 and 25 and the levers 37, 38 and 39 directly position the corresponding hubs 30, 31 and 32 together with the corresponding arms 34. In FIG. 3 the operation of the wedge 13 on the various wedges 20 is indicated by the lines 72, while the operation of the cams 46 and 47 on the pins 48, 49 is indicated by the lines 73.

At 210- degrees of the revolution of the shaft 3 (FIG. 2) the shaft 54 begins to rotate counterclockwise. At 70 degrees of the revolution of the shaft 54 (see line 77 in FIG. 3), the cam 55 (FIG. 2) begins to rock the bail 58 counterclockwise. The shaft 60 is then displaced downwards and through the swing levers 61 begins to displace the slides 65 and 66 downwards.

At degrees revolution of the shaft 54, when the last lever 19 has been already positioned and the stop impulse is received, one of each pair of slides 65, 66 contacts the corresponding arm 34 and is stopped thereby. The other slide 66, 65 of each pair is further displaced downwards, thus causing the levers 61 to be rocked according to the position of the corresponding arm 34. The shoulders 69 of the slides 65, 66 engage the corresponding edges 70, 71 of the code bars 52 which are thus positioned according to the position of the sensed arms 34.

Thereafter the cam 55 causes the spring 57 to return the bail 58 clockwise, thus returning the shaft 60 upwards. The slides 65, 66 arrested by the arms 34 are then locked by the stop plate 68, whereby the other slides 65 and 66 are returned upwards to the position of FIG. 2. The slides 65, 66 are completely removed from the arms 34 at 280 degrees of the revolution of the shaft 54, that is at degrees of the next cycle of the shaft 3, when the wedge 13 has already displaced the wedges 20 of the first two levers 15 and 16, according to the code units of the next following code combination, but before the cams 46 and 47 engage again the pins 48 and 49.

It becomes thus apparent that the transfer members from 28 to 32 are divided in two groups and that the transfer members 28, 29 of the first group are caused to be moved by control means with a predetermined delay after the associated selecting members 15, 16 have been so set, the transfer members 30, 31 and 32 of the second group being directly moved by the associated selecting members. Therefore the code bars may be positioned during a longer interval of time including the time during which the levers 15 and 16 are positioned by the wedge portion 13.

According to a modified embodiment of the invention for a eight level code, four selecting levers 74 (FIG. 4) are each one provided with a wedge 20 and with a pin 75, whereas other four selecting levers 76 are each one provided with the wedge 20 only. The cams 46 and 47 are adapted to engage the pins 75 exactly during the operation of the wedge portion 13 on the wedges 20 of the levers 76. It becomes thus apparent that the selection members are divided in two equal groups, and that the levers 74 of the first group are positioned by the cam 46 and 47 while the levers 76 of the second group are positioned by the wedge 13.

What is claimed is:

1. A receiving signal distributor for a high speed teleprinter of the start-stop type, having a set of selecting members each one adapted to be set in one of a pair of positions according to the character of an associated unit of a received code combination, setting means operable by a cyclically operating mechanism and selectively conditionable for sequentially setting said selecting members, and a set of code members positionable according to said code combination, wherein the improvement comprises:

(a) a first group of transfer members associated with a first group of said selecting members,

(b) a second group of transfer members associated with the remaining selecting members and adapted to be directly moved thereby,

(c) control means for causing the transfer members of said first group to be moved by the associated selecting members with a predetermined delay; and,

(d) sensing means operable by said mechanism for sensing the transfer members of said first and second group to simultaneously positively position said code members substantially while the selecting members associated with said first group of transfer members are so set.

2. A receiving signal distributor for a high speed teleprinter of the start-stop type, having a set of selecting members each one adapted to be set in one of a pair of positions according to the character of an associated unit of a received code combination, setting means conditionable for sequentially selectively setting said selecting members, and a set of code members wherein the improvement comprises:

(a) a first group of transfer members associated with a first group of said selecting members,

(b) a second group of transfer members associated with the remaining selecting members and adapted to be directly moved thereby,

(c) control means for causing the transfer members of said first group to be moved by the associated selecting members with a predetermined delay comprismg:

(1) a group of elements associated with the selecting members of said first group and bodily movable therewith,

(2) actuating means for additionally moving said elements with said delay,

(3) and a lost motion connection between each selecting member of said first group and the associated transfer member to cause the transfer members of said first group to be moved upon the additional movement of the associated elements,

(d) and means cooperating with the transfer members of said first and second group for simultaneously conditioning accordingly said code members.

3. A receiving signal distributor for a high speed teleprinter of the start-stop type, having a set of selecting members each one adapted to be set in one of a pair of positions according to the character of an associated unit of a received code combination, setting means conditionable for sequentially selectively setting said selecting members, and a set of code members wherein the improvement comprises:

(a) a first group of transfer members associated with a first group of said selecting members,

(b) a second group of transfer members associated with the remaining selecting members and adapted to be directly moved thereby,

(c) control means for causing the transfer members of said first group to be moved by the associated selecting members with a predetermined delay comprising:

-(1) a group of elements individually secured to the selecting members of said first group,

(2) actuating means adapted to engage the selecb ing members of said first group with said delay after being set into one of said pair of positions to move the selecting members of said first group to one of a further pair of positions,

(3) a set of intermediate members secured to said selecting members,

(4) and a lost motion connection between each transfer member of said first group and the associated intermediate member to cause the transfer members of said first group to be moved upon the movement of the associated elements to said further pair of positions.

(d) and means cooperating with the transfer members of said first and second group for simultaneously conditioning accordingly said code members.

4. A receiving signal distributor for a high speed teleprinter of the start-stop type, having a set of selecting wedges, a cyclically rotatable shaft, a setting wedge mounted for concomitant rotation with said shaft, a set of selecting levers each one carrying one of said selecting wedges, a set of pivots pivotally mounting said levers, said pivots being located on a circle concentric with said shaft so as to cause said selecting wedges to be radially moved with respect to said shaft between a pair of positions according to the character of an associated unit of a received code combination, means for conditioning said setting wedge to sequentially engage and selectively set said selecting wedges, and a set of code bars, wherein the improvement comprises:

(a) a first group of transfer members associated with a 1 first group of said selecting wedges,

(b) a second group of transfer members associated with the remaining selecting wedges and adapted to be directly moved thereby,

(c) a group of elements secured to the selecting wedges of said first group,

(d) a pair of cam members bodily rotatable with said shaft and adapted to engage said elements with a predetermined delay after the engagement of the corresponding selecting wedges by said setting wedge,

(e) a lost motion connection between each selecting v lever of said first group and the associated transfer member to cause the transfer members of said first group to be moved by the corresponding selecting levers upon the engagement of said elements by said cam members,

(f) and sensing means for simultaneously sensing said I first and second group of transfer members to ac cordingly position said code bars.

5. A distributor according to claim 4, comprising in combination:

(.f) a disk secured to said shaft,

(g) and a pair of cam rims secured to said disk to locate each selecting wedge into a central position with respect to said pair of positions before being engaged by said setting wedge, said pair of cam members being also secured to said disk.

6. A distributor according to claim 5, wherein each one of said transfer members is formed of a transfer lever mounted coaxially to said shaft, comprising in combination:

(f) a first group of driving members secured to the selecting levers of said first group,

(g) a second group of driving members secured to the selecting levers of said second group and directly engaging a first arm of the associated transfer levers,

(h) a forked arm on each driving member of said first group, said forked arm being connected to the first arm of the associated transfer lever with such a lost motion as to enable each selecting lever of said first group to be displaced to one of said pair of positions without affecting the associated transfer lever.

7. A distributor according to claim 6 comprising in combination:

(i) a second arm on each one of said transfer levers, said second arms being selectively positionable in a pair of common angular positions,

(j) a set of pairs of sensing slides comprised in said sensing means, each pair of sensing slides being conditionable for sensing the second arm of a corresponding transfer lever,

(k) a two armed lever having its ends connected to each pair of said slides,

(l) and a shaft pivotally mounting said two armed 60 levers and cyclically movable perpendicular thereto to condition said slides substantially while said setting Wedge engages the selecting wedges of said first group. References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,745,633 2/1930 Morton et al. 17827 2,250,143 7/1941 Warburton 178-33 THOMAS A. ROBINSON, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 178-27, 34 

